| Administrative History | William Laing [1742-1812]. Student at Marischal College 1762-1766 and Beattie's pupil in 1765-1766. He was Master at Aberdeen Grammar School in 1770-1771. Beattie secured his appointment as episcopal minister at Peterhead in 1771. He had studied Medicine, although he did not obtain any qualification, but in 1782, on Beattie's recommendation, he was awarded an MD degree of Marischal College. He remained a close friend of Beattie until the latter's death |
| Description | Thanks for letter of 24 January and stomach pills which suit him better that the last ones. Laings speaks more favourably of the new edition of the Minstrel than it deserves. The cuts may be fashionable but they are miserable performances for all that. The printing of the book is pretty well but too microscopical for Beattie's eyes. Sorry to hear of Arbuthnot's great loss [his second son, John, captain of the Royal Artillery, born 1762, died at Curaçao in 1796]. Beattie lately met a literary curiosity at a sale of books - the very first edition of Paradise Lost in ten books printed in 1669.Beattie sent an unlimited commission for it, but got it for twenty-five pence. |